Tree Removal Permit Guide for Richmond, BC

When Richmond requires a permit

Richmond’s Tree Protection Bylaw No. 8057 sets a protected size for a tree. The diameter is taken at 1.4 m. The confirmed sizes:

Size	Applies to
20 cm	tree that could reach 4.5 m in height, outside an environmentally sensitive area in Schedule E
any size	land identified as an environmentally sensitive area in Schedule E

Two places drop the size test. On City land, and inside an Environmentally Sensitive Area listed in Schedule E of the bylaw, any tree or woody perennial is covered whatever its size. Check Schedule E before you decide a small tree is outside the bylaw.

What the permit costs

The Consolidated Fees Bylaw 8636 sets these amounts:

• one tree on a parcel in any 12 months, $70;
• two or more trees, $84.25 per tree;
• a renewal or extension, $70.

Replacement trees and cash in lieu

Schedule A sets replacement by the kind of removal. On a one-family lot with no development, each tree comes back 1:1, with new stock of 6 cm caliper or 3.5 m in height. A removal tied to a rezoning, development permit, subdivision or works needs 2:1, and the stock rises to 8 cm caliper or 4 m. A significant tree needs 3:1.

Securities sit on top of the fee. The City holds these securities:

Amount	Applies to
$750	replacement tree, related to subdivision
$20,000	retained significant tree
$5,000	retained tree of 20 to 30 cm caliper, related to subdivision
$10,000	retained tree of 31 to 91 cm caliper, related to subdivision

Confirm cash-in-lieu with the City of Richmond before you count on it.

How to apply

Richmond takes tree permit applications by email. Start from the City’s tree removal page, then send the application and the supporting documents to TreeProtection@richmond.ca. The Tree Protection Section in Building Approvals handles the file.

What the arborist report covers

Bulletin TREE-04 sets the content of a Richmond arborist report.

Measurement follows the bylaw. Diameter is taken at 1.4 m. On a multi-stem tree the largest trunk counts in full and each other trunk adds 60% of its diameter. The report records height as well, since height decides protection on a private lot.

For trees that stay, the protection barrier goes at the dripline. If the dripline cannot work on the site, Bulletin TREE-03 gives a distance table by trunk diameter. The fence is a cross-braced 2×4 wood frame with snow-fence material, staked in place, with a sign on two sides.

Size and significant trees

Check the sizes above before you rule a small tree out. On City land a tree is protected at any size.

At the other end of the scale, 92 cm caliper moves a tree into the significant class. Replacement rises to 3:1 and the security on a retained significant tree is $20,000. If a significant tree comes down without a permit, the replacement stays at 3:1 but the new stock must be 24 cm caliper or 8 m tall.

A Richmond tree inventory therefore records diameter for every tree, with any tree close to the protected size or the significant tree line marked.

What we do and do not do

We prepare tree removal permit reports. Ask us before you order a Richmond report. We tell you whether we can take your file. We confirm availability for your address before we quote.

If the removal ground is a hazardous or high-risk tree, ask us first. Some Metro Vancouver bylaws require a report author who also holds the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification.

We do not offer emergency service. We do not supervise construction.